What’s New: The "c" stands for "city." In the expanding Prius lineup, this new hatchback is the least expensive and smallest model. It uses a downsized Prius powertrain (a smaller gas engine, nickel-metal hydride battery, and less powerful electric boost) and a modified version of Toyota’s Yaris small-car platform. As the smallest and lightest Prius (500 pounds lighter than the original), the c also boasts fantastic fuel economy, with an EPA rating of 53 mpg in the city. And Toyota didn’t skimp on the options: The c can be equipped with luxuries such heated seats and also offers Entune, a cloud-based app that lets drivers access Pandora and Bing through the car’s infotainment system.

Tech Tidbit: The Prius powertrain is a pretty ingenious piece. For example, the 1.5-liter engine revs to only 4500 rpm. Going higher just increases the frictional losses of energy, and so the Prius powertrain relies on the electric motor boost—rather than higher engine rpm—to increase power. And the CVT, which uses a planetary gearset and two electrical motors, is conceptually complex—the various elements rotate at different speeds and direction depending on power demand—but mechanically simple.

Toyota included several different options for viewing your driving efficiency. You can even plug in a theoretical comparison car (say, if you were debating buying the Prius c or Honda Fit) and the computer will calculate how much fuel—and money—you’ve saved. This information appears on a three-inch screen that’s mounted high up on the dash and relies on a steering-wheel mounted switch for toggling through the various screens. The readouts are a neat feature, but so much information is crammed on the little screen that it’s tough at quick glance to determine what you’re looking at.